Material serving apparatus



I Feb. 22, 1949 Y. A. BOUGET 2,462,303

MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 194 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /,N VEN TO)? K A BOUGE 7 A T TOR/VEY Feb. 22, 1949. Y. A. BOUGET 2,462,303

' MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR K A .BOUGzf. 7'

Feb. 22, 1949.

Filed Nov. 1946 Y; A.. 'BOUG ET I MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS INVENTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 K ABOUGET A TTORNEY Feb. 22,1949. g VY.A.BOUGET 2,462,303

MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' FIG. 4.

FIGS.

'INVENTOR A. BOUGET A 7' TORNE) Patented Feb. 22, 1949 MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS Yves A. Bouget, West Orange, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 23, 1946, Serial No. 711,975

8 Claims.

tension the tapes as they are served to the core. Variations in the tensions in the tapes usually originate at the point of application of the tapes on thecore. Furthermore, the selected tension to be created in the tape is that desired at the point of application and not at some previous point leading back from the cable core to the point where the material pays off its supply pad.

An object of the invention is' to provide a material serving apparatus wherein the tension controlling means for the material is effectively positioned adjacent the point of application of the material on an advancing core.

Withthis and other objects in View, the inventioncomprises a material serving apparatus ineluding supports for two supply pads or tapes, the tapes therefrom being fed about their respective guide pins to an advancing core during rotationof the apparatus about the core. The guidev pins are disposed adjacent the point of application of the tapes to the core and are movable, responsive to variations in the tensions in either tape, to vary a braking means, which normally applies an equalized braking force to each pad tendin to maintain constant tension in the tapes.

More specifically, the supports for the supplies of papertape are mounted in a flyer rotatable in a given direction about the advancing core, the supports for the pads of tape beingrotatable in likedirections"and having brake members interposed therebetween'and receiving control from a single sprin element to create a given brake drag on the pad supports and equal tensions in the'tapes served to the core. A mechan ism operatively connected to the pins, about which the tapes travel adjacent the point of applicationis actuable through increase in tension in either or both tapes producing longitudinal or torsional movement oi the pins to operate the brake means to reduce the braking force on the pads until-the tensions in the tapes adiacent 2 the point of application have been reduced to the desired given tension.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of the material serving apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view at a smaller scale of the material serving apparatus;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary partial sectional view of the central portion of the apparatus; v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, it should be understood that only the essential portion of the apparatus necessary to illustrate the invention has been shown. The apparatus includes a fiyer unit, indicated generally at ID, suitably supported in bearings I! and including an integral hollow spindle l2 which is rotated in a clockwise direction viewing Fig. 2. The fiyer it is hollow throughout its length and includes a sleeve [4 mounted therein through which a cable core 15 is advanced longitudinally in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3). Supports IE and ii for supply pads i8 and E9 of tapes 20 and 2| are disposed concentric with a laterally extending portion 23 of the fiyer i0 and supported thereon by bearings 2G and 25. The hub portions 26 and 21 of the supports l6 and 11, respectively, are identical in structure and include serrated gripping blocks 28 mounted in recesses of their hub portions (Fig. 4) to secure the pads against relative rotation with respect to their supports.

Brake units are mounted concentric with the portion 23 of the flyer within the hubs 26 and 21. These brake units include disc-like brake elements some of which have tongue portions 30 receivable in longitudinal grooves 3| of the portion 23 of the flyer while intermediate brake elements have tongue portions 33 and 34 which are disposed in longitudinal grooves 35 and 36 of their respective hub portions 26 and 21. Annular members 38 and 39 are disposed concentric with the member 23 of the flyer and have tongue portions 40 and 4| respectively disposed in their grooves 3! of the member 23. An annular spring element 63 (Figs. 3' and 5) has a plurality of fingers 44, a given number of which are bent, out-.

wardly in one direction while an equal number,

are bent outwardly in the opposite direction. The spring element 43 is positioned in an annular pocket 45 between the members 38 and 38 and rests on an annular shelf formed by interfitting flanges and "3? of the members. The fingers of the spring element 43 provide a unitary force interposed between the brake units to create an equalizedibraking force in the units through the joint effect of their lateral forces against their members 38 and 33 to press the brake elements, connected to their respective hubs 25 and 21 into intimate engagement with the brake elements connected to and driven by the liver through the member 23. Inner surfaces 48 and 49 of the members 38 and 39 extend into V-shaped recesses 53 of control blocks or mem bers iii. The inner surfaces of' the blocks 5! have concaved recesses 52 therein to receive ball members 53.

The pad supports it and I! are held in place by suitablemeans'including an annular member 55, this member being supported by aknu'rlednut 55 threadedly mounted upon the outer end of'the portion 2S'of the flyer'as'shown'in Fig. 3. The

nutSSis'recessed atli'l to partially receive a helical spring 58 one end of which is secured to thenut as indicated at595 The other end 60 of the spring is secured toa supporting sleeve 6! of acohtrol unit EZJ Th'e'control unit 62 includes a head 63 with anannular flange 54 extending around a flanged portion 6-5 of the sleeve 6|, the

flange and flanged portion having apertures therein, the aperture in the flanged portion being threaded to"receive a'screw66 to positively con: nect the head 63 with the sleevetl. Spherical depressions or recesses 61 in the sleeve 6| provide nests for the ball members "53and' surfaces "to' move the ball members-outwardly upon movement of the sleeve. Guide pins or rollers 68 and 69 aremounte'd upon" the head 63 and form a part of the-'control 'unit 62. The rollers 68 and B9 'are' positioned upon diametrically oppositesides of thecore' lfi adjacent thecore to guide their respective 'materia'ls'or-tapes 2U and 2l to the" core.

A drum-lik'e unit 10 partiallly'sun'ounds the pads ls'and lll and serves in'dire'ctingthetapes 20 'and zl from their supplypads l8 and Hi to rial.'- The opening 12 "also shows a curved portion- 74 for the tape material 20 le'avingthe drumrand passing to the core about its'guide finger or roller 68.

i3 continues about the periphery of the-drum to a curved'portion 16 "where it leaves the drum between the curved portion :6 and a'brake element Tl. the drum and may be moved to any desired position relative to the curvedportioniS to vary the frictional resistance applied to the tape2l as it leaves the'drum iii} The purpose'of this triotional means is to equalize the frictionaldrag'on bothmaterials as they move over the drum. The

material or tape 20 has farther to travel about the drum Til'irom the time lit first engages the drum at a curved'portion 80 until it" leaves the drum at the curved portion] tas: compared to the Returning to the material or tape 2|, this: material after passing around the curved portion The brake element'i'l is mounted at'18 upon distance the tape 2! travels over the drum from its entrance position at 13 until it leaves the drum at the curved portion 76. The frictional drag between the two tapes is balanced by the brake element Ti. An opening 81 is provided in the drum 10 adjacent the curved surface for the tape material 20, this material being shown in its extreme positions, one extending from the full pad and the other from the pad when it is about to become empty of its material.

Upon considering the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed that full pads I 8 and H! are mounted upon their supports it and I! and that the tape materials therefrom are threaded about their respective portions of the drum 10, about their respective guide pins or rollers 58 or 69 and secured in a suitable manner to the core IS. The apparatus is then in readiness for operation including longitudinal advancement of the core l5 and rotation of the fiyer l9, rotating the guide'rollers 68 and 69 about the advancing core to spirally wind the materials in overlapping spiral layers thereon. The brake element 11 has been previously adjusted whereby the frictional drag on the tapes at the drum '18, from the time they enter or first engage the drum, until they leave the drum and pass to the core, have been made equal.

The brake mechanism interposed between the ipads land 19 or their supports IE and 11 may then function to maintain like tensions of a given value in the tapes. If for any reason the tension in either or both tapes should increase, the control unit 62 will be operated to actuate the brake aunts to decrease the braking force applied to the pads until the excess tension in the tapes has been removed. This is brought about through either one of two actions or the combination of both of these actions on the unit 62 through the ,pull on the guide rollers 68 and/or 69 due to the increased tension in either or both tapes. One action would cause relative rotation of the unit 62 with its sleeve [ii to cause relative movement of the spherical recesses or depressions 6! in the sleeve relative to their ball members 53. This action will cause the ball members 53 to move outwardly simultaneously moving their blocks 5! radially outwardly to cause the diagonal surfaces of their V-shaped recesses 50 engaging the inner -'surfaces of the annular members 38 and 39 to move the members toward each other against the forces of the finger 44 of the spring element 43. This action will remove the forces on the brake elements, removing the brake drag on the pads until that force resulting from the excess tension in the tapes on the guide rollers has been removed reducing the tensions in the tapes to the predetermined known tension desired therein. When this action takes place, the helical spring 58 will'return the control unit 62, including the sleeve 61, to its normal position whereby the depressions 61 will allow the ball members 53 to return to their normal positions allowing the spring element 43 to againapply its equalizing pressure to the brake units through the annular members 38 and 39.

The other action which might take place due to excess tension existing in either of the tapes would by longitudinal movement of the unit 62 by the pull of the tapes in the direction of advancement of the core l5. This pull would be against the action of the spring 58, which constantly tends to hold the unit 62 in its normal position relative to the fiyer, and would cause movement of the spherical depressions 61 in the sleeve 6| relative to their ball members 53. The same action would take place in forcing the ball members 53 outwardly and forcing the annular members 38 and 39 toward each other to reduce the braking force applied to the pads l8 and I9 through their supports l6 and I1. These actions have been described separately, but in actual operationthey would in most instances be combined depending upon how severe the change is created in the tensions of the tapes. In either instance the spring 58 returns the control unit 62 to its normal position after the tensions in the tapes have been returned to normal.

In describing the operation of the apparatus,

it may have been understood that an increase in tension would occur in both tapes simultaneously. It should be understood, however, that an increase in tension might occur in one tape and not in the other. However, the initial means to create the desired known tension in both tapes is interposed between their pads or supplies and a disturbance in the tension of one tape would alTect that of the other. Furthermore, by the positioning of the guide rollers in close proximity to the core where the causes usually exist in unbalancing the tensions in the materials or tapes, this unbalanced condition may be rectified rapidly as the result of its condition causes immediate action or operation of the control unit 62 to remove the undesired excess tension and to return the apparatus .to normal operation as soon as this has been accomplished.

Another point for consideration in material serving apparatus is the tendency for the tension in the material being served to increase as the supply pad from which it is drawn becomes smaller. In the present embodiment of the invention any increase in tension of the tapes will move the unit 62 to reduce the braking force and reduce the tension in the tape to that desired. As the supply pads decrease in size and their lever arms become shorter, the tension control means will increase its action to keep the tension constant in the tapes.

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A material serving apparatus comprising a iiyer rotatable about an advancing core, supports for supplies of materials rotatably supported by the flyer concentric with the core, brake units for the supports, guide pins disposed adjacent the core to guide the materials from their supplies to the core, means to cause the brake units to apply equal braking forces on the supplies to create equal known tensions in the materials, an element to support the guide pins, means normally holding the element with the guide pins against movement longitudinally of the core relative to the flyer except during the presence of excess tension in the materials, and means responsive to the longitudinal movement of the pins and element to operate the braking units to reduce the tensions in the materials to their known tensions.

2. A material serving apparatus comprising a .flyer rotatable about an advancing core, supports for supplies of materials rotatably supported by the flyer concentric with the core; brake units for the supports, guide pins disposed adiacent the core to guide the materials from their supplieslto the core, means to cause the'brakeunits to apply equal braking forces on the supplies to create equal known tensions in the materials, a ball member disposed at a given position in the flyer, an element to support the guide pins having a spherical depression larger than the ball member to receive the ball member, means normally holding the element with the guide pins against movement relative to the fiyer and the ball member except during the presence of excess tension in the materials, whereby the excess tension in the materials will cause movement of the guide pins and element and the spherical depression will cause radial movement of the ball member, and means movable by the ball member to operate the brake units to reduce the braking force on the supplies and reduce the tensions in the materials to their known tensions.

3.:A material serving apparatus comprising a hollow spindle through which a core is advanced longitudinally, supports for supplies of materials rotatably mounted on the spindle, guides disposed adjacent the core to guide their materials to the core to spirally wrap them about the core during relative rotation of the spindle and the core, means to direct the materials to their respective guides to cause rotation of the supplies in the same direction by pulling the materials off the supplies during advancement of the core, friction brake units having relatively movable brake elements connected to their respective supports and the spindle to create braking actions on the supplies of materials and given tensions in the materials, and a pressure element interposed between the brake units to apply equal forces to the elements thereof whereby equal braking actions will be created on the supplies and equal tensions created in the materials served to the core.

4. A material serving apparatus comprising a hollow spindle through which a core is advanced longitudinally, supports for supplies of materials rotatably mounted on the spindle, guides disposed adjacent the core to guide their materials to the core to spirally wrap them about the core during relative rotation of the spindle and the core, means to direct the materials to their respective guides to cause rotation of the supplies in the same direction by pulling the materials oif the supplies during advancement of the core, friction brake units having relatively movable brake elements connected to their respective supports and the spindle to create braking actions on the supplies of materials and given tensions in the materials, a pressure element interposed between the brake units to apply equal forces to the elements thereof whereby equal braking actions will be created on the supplies and equal tensions created in the materials served to the core, and means including the guides actuable by either material as a result of excess tension therein to remove the force of the pressure element from both brake units to reduce the braking actions on the materials until normal tensions have been established in the materials.

5. A material serving apparatus comprising a hollow spindle through which a core is advanced longitudinally, supports for supplies of materials rotatably mounted on the spindle, guides disposed adjacent the core to guide their materials to the core to spirally wrap them about the core during relative rotation of the spindle and the core, means to direct the materials to their respective guides to cause rotation of the supplies in the same direction by pulling the materials off the supplies duringadvancementof'the core, friction brake=units having relatively movable brake elementsconn'ecte'dto their respective supports and the-spindle to create braking actions on the supplies of materials and given tensions in the materials," members movable relative toeach other and relative to the spindle and the brake units supported by the spindle adjacent the brake element of their respective'units,'a pressure element'winterposed between the" members to normally-fo1'cethem away from each other toward their brake'units whereby equal braking actions will be'createdin the supplies and equal normal tensions will be created in the materials served to thecore, and means including the guides actuable by excess tension in either material to move the -members toward each other to reduce the force of the pressure element applied to the brake'elements until the excess tension in the said material is removed.

6. A'material' serving apparatus comprising a hollow spindle through which a core is advanced longitudinally, supports for supplies of materials rotatably mounted on the spindle, guides disposed adjacent the core to'guide their materials to'the core to spirally wrap them about the core during relative rotation of the spindle and the core, means tod-irect the materials to their respective guides to cause rotation of the supplies in the same direction bypulling'the materials off the supplies during advancement of the core, friction brake units having relatively movable brake elements connected to their respective supports and the *spindle to create braking actions on the supplies of materials and given tensions in the materials, members movable relative to each other and'relative to the spindle and the brake units supported by the spindle adjacent the brake element of their respective units, a pressure element interposed between the members to normally force-themaway from" each other toward their brakeiunits whereby equal braking actions will be created'in the supplies and equal normal tensions will becratedin the'materials served to the"'core,' a tubular 'cam concentric with the spindle and supporting the guides, means normally holding the'cam with the guides against torsional movement relative to the spindle except during the presence of excess tension in the materials, and means responsive to torsional mdviiierit of-tlicam to'm'ove the members toward each other "to reduce the force of the pressure element applied to the brake elements to reduce the tensions in thematerials to their normal tensions.

'7; Amat-erial serving apparatus comprising a hollow spindle through which a core is advanced longitudinally, supports for supplies of materials rota'tably mounted onthe spindle, guide fingers 8 disposed adjacent the core to guide their mate rials to the core to spirally wrap them-about the core-during relative'rotation of the spindle and a the core, a drum guide supported by the spindle concentric with the supports and having curved" portions guiding the materials from their supplies onto and'off the drum to guide the materials between their supplies'and the guide fingers and cause rotation of the suppliesin the same direction during advancement 'of the core, frictionbrakeunits having relatively movable brake elements connected to their respective supports and the spindle to create braking actions on thematerials, and a'pressure element interposedbe tween the brake units" to apply equalforces to the elements thereof whereby equal braking'acticns will be created on the supplies and equal" tensions created in the materials served'to'the core.

8.'A material serving apparatus comprising 'a hollow spindle through which a core is advanced longitudinally, supports'for supplies of materialsrotatably mounted on the spindle,'guidefihgrs disposed adjacent the core to guide their materials to the core to spirally wrap them about the core during relative rotation of the "spindle' 'and the core, a drum guide supported by "the-spindle" concentric with the supports and having'curved portions guiding the materials from theirsupplies onto and off the drum to guidethematerials between their supplies and the guide fingers and cause rotation of the supplies in the'same' direc-' tion during advancement of the core, friction brake units having relatively movable'brake elements connected to their respective supports "and" the spindle to create braking actions on the materials, a brake member disposed adj acent one of the curved portions of the drum guide to engage the material traveling the shortest distance about the drum to apply a brake drag'to'that material equal to friction drag on the other material traveling the additional distance in" engagement with the drum'guide, and a pressure element interposed between the brake units to REFERENCES orrED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rice May 10, 1932 Van Hook Aug. 26, 1941 Number 

